Rising Cable Theft Cases A Concern In Kg Ayer
By Mohammad Abdullah

Bandar Seri Begawan - Over 100 metres of phone cable have been stolen, along with some $25,000 worth of damages, in Kampong Ayer since June 2007, said TelBru official Pengiran Haji Ariffin.

Eight villages have been identified as targets of cable thefts: Kampong Sungai Pangga, Kampong Setia Pahlawan, Kampong Burung Pinggai Ayer, Kampong Setia, Kampong Bukit Salat, Kampong Sungai Kedayan, Kampong Bendahara Lama, and Kampong Sungai Kebun.

The worst hit area was Kampong Sungai Pangga, where five reports in the last six months involving 700 pairs of phone cables stolen, resulting in the lack of services in some 200 phone lines.

There were also reports of $1,200 worth of fibre optic cables stolen in Kampong Setia and Kampong Sungai Kedayan. These cables are linked to schools as part of an e-government school programme. Data streams for schools were disrupted due to the theft.

According to Pengiran Haji Ariffin, "thieves use big steel cutters to cut the cables, which are very visible. People in the village must have seen them carrying the cutter or the stolen cables around. However, these residents were interviewed, they seem oblivious to the matter. We believe that the thefts must have occurred during the day, as it is very difficult to cut the cables in the dark".

Community involvement is a must in preventing these thefts, said the TelBru official. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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